Artwork

Sketch for "The Wolf Turned Shepherd" (recto) Sketch of Hunting Scene (verso)

Sketch for "The Wolf Turned Shepherd" (recto) Sketch of Hunting Scene (verso) is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Gustave Doré. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This double-sided drawing, executed around 1868 by French illustrator Gustave Doré, presents two distinct studies on a single sheet of paper. The recto contains a preparatory sketch for Doré’s narrative composition “The Wolf Turned Shepherd,” while the verso features a separate, dynamic hunting scene. Both images are rendered in quick, gestural lines that convey movement and narrative intent.

Subject & Meaning

The front sketch portrays a cloaked figure grasping a staff, with a wolf’s head perched on the shoulder, suggesting a transformative or allegorical encounter between man and beast. On the reverse, a mounted rider—perhaps a hunter—charges forward, his weapon poised toward a wolf‑like creature, emphasizing the tension of pursuit and the primal conflict between civilization and the wild.

Technique & Style

Doré employs a loose, expressive line work, using bold strokes and minimal shading to suggest form and action rather than detailed rendering. The sketches rely on contrast between thick and thin lines to generate a sense of depth and kinetic energy, characteristic of the artist’s preparatory studies.

History & Provenance

Created in the late 1860s, the drawing reflects Doré’s prolific work on literary and mythological subjects during that period. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is conserved as part of the museum’s holdings of 19th‑century European drawings.